TEHRAN – Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi on Saturday sent a message of condolence to his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin denouncing a deadly terrorist attack on a concert hall outside Moscow on Friday night, which has left at least 133 dead and more than 100 injured.

In part of his message, Raisi said the Iranian government and people “strongly condemn” this terrorist attack and backed efforts by the Russian officials to protect national security.

He also called for “serious measures by the international community for punishing the architects and perpetrators of this event.”

Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian also reacted to the terrorist attack, saying “effective campaign against terrorism entails serious moves by the international community.”

Writing on his social media page, Amir Abdollahian said he “strongly condemns” the brutal terrorist attack outside Moscow, sympathizes with the bereaved families and “offer condolences to my colleague Sergei Lavrov and the government and people of Russia over this unpleasant event.”

According to the Guardian, 121 people are believed to have been hospitalized, with about 60 of them, including a small number of children, being described as in “serious” or “extremely serious” condition.

“Bloody and savage attack”

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani also denounced the “bloody and savage” attack on the city hall in Russia.

Expressing condolences with the Russian government and nation, especially the bereaved families, Kanaani said, “The Islamic Republic of Iran sees itself on the side of Russia in this bitter event.”

Three children are among the dead.

The terrorist attack has been claimed by the ISIL terrorist group.

Gunmen entered the concert venue and opened fired on the crowd.

The attackers, wearing combat fatigues, also threw explosives causing a huge blaze at the 6,200-seat Crocus City Hall in the city of Krasnogorsk, 15 miles to the west of the capital.

The number of dead has risen to 115, Russia's investigative committee said just before 8.30am on Saturday and added this was likely to rise further.

At least 145 people were also injured in the assault, shortly before the Soviet-era rock group Picnic was due to perform. Of those more than 100 remain in hospital.

Footage taken inside the auditorium showed several insurgents firing automatic weapons as people crouched and hid behind seats.

Video footage also showed concert-goers fleeing for the exits as the sound of shooting echoed over screams.

Russian investigators have published pictures of a Kalashnikov automatic weapon, ammunition vests with multiple spare magazines and bags of spent bullet casings.

In the aftermath, flames leapt into the sky, and plumes of black smoke rose above the venue as hundreds of blue lights

from emergency vehicles illuminated the night.

Helicopters sought to douse the fire that engulfed the building and caused parts of the roof to collapse.

Russian state-owned media TASS published a report on its Telegram channel saying 11 people involved in the crime have been detained, including four direct perpetrators.